Do Not Give In to Evil and Division, Pope tells Myanmar Community

VATICAN CITY - The people of Myanmar must not despair in the face of evil or allow themselves to be divided, Pope Francis said on Sunday at a special Mass for the Myanmar community in Italy.

Myanmar's military seized power in a Feb. 1 coup, derailing the country's tentative progress towards full democracy and triggering protests that have been met with a bloody crackdown. Francis, who visited the Southeast Asian country in 2017, has repeatedly denounced the coup and on Sunday held a special service for the Myanmar faithful in St. Peter's Basilica. "Your beloved country of Myanmar is experiencing violence, conflict and repression," the pope said in a toughly worded homily, urging the congregation to draw inspiration from the final hours of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion.